Ranked as the top player in Missouri, defensive end Michael Keck has had the spotlight on him all season long. However, if it were up to him he'd give up all the headlines and just let his play do the talking. He admits he'll relish the limelight – just this once – to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl on Jan. 4, 2007, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely pumped about it," Keck, who is 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, said. "I know that if Rivals.com is involved with something, then it's going to be a great event. I'm excited about going out and playing football against somebody else that's not from Missouri. When I got invited, I knew I was going to definitely be part of it."

Keck, a Missouri commitment that will represent the West squad, has missed parts of his senior season because of an injury to his knee, but he's set to make a comeback this week for the first round of the Missouri state playoffs. Despite the injury, he is on track again to rack up triple digit tackles for the third year in a row.

"I'm about 90 percent, but I'm going to be back," Keck said. "I've been jogging on it now for a little bit and it feels good. I practiced last week and it hurt a little bit, but now I'm practicing without any pain. I'm ready for the game against Seneca. They're 8-2 on the year. They're pretty solid."

Keck is definitely man of few words. After a long practice on Saturday, he's in the zone gearing up for the playoff game. But when he does think about the upcoming All-American game, he's definitely excited about the opportunity to showcase his abilities.

"Any time you get a chance to play football, it's a good day," Keck said. "It'll be fun to see what other players are like from other places in the country. I've never been to Florida, so that'll be cool. Maybe I'll see some pretty girls, too."